Could Marijuana Be Legalized in New York?

Marijuana may soon be legalized in the Hudson Valley if one candidate has her way.

On Wednesday, Cynthia Nixon released a video stating that legalizing marijuana is one of her campaign issues as she runs for governor of New York.

"I believe it's time for New York to follow the lead of eight other states and DC, and legalize recreational marijuana," Nixon said in the video." "There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana, but for me, it comes down to this. We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity."

Nixon claims marijuana has been effectively legalized for white people, but not for people of color.

"80% of the New Yorkers who are arrested for marijuana are black or Latino, despite the fact that whites and people of color use marijuana at roughly the same rates," she said.

Nixon, who's challenging Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination, also believes that legalizing marijuana will generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, create jobs and improve the lives of everyone in New York.

“In 2018, in a blue state like New York, marijuana shouldn't even be an issue,” Nixon said. “If there was more political courage coming out of Albany, we would have done this already.”